The Incomplete World Of Elmore

Part 28

~Gymnasium

The Keane brothers, Alan and William, were still recovering from the aftermath of Aphrodite the albino rat's little rampage. Now muzzled and sulking like a punished dog, she glared daggers at them from the corner.

Alan, ever the one to try to regain normalcy, forced a smile on himself.

"Okay, now that the issue has been settled," he began, his voice carrying the weight of forced optimism, "We should focus on a theme for the dance—unless something else decides to delay us."

The gym doors exploded inward with a metallic shriek, barely giving the students a moment to recover from Aphrodite's rampage. The heavy panels were ripped from their hinges and flung across the polished floor, their echo rattling through the cavernous space, adding to the chaos. It was a moment of pure pandemonium, amplifying the tension in the gym.

The sound system crackled alive, and the instrumental of What I'm Made Of thundered through the gym. Almost immediately, a swarm of miniature robots poured in like a metallic tide. They darted through the air with unnerving precision, their gleaming bodies glinting under the fluorescent lights.

The machines ripped through the overhead fixtures, sending glass raining down like brittle ice. Sparks burst from shattered bulbs, scattering across the hardwood floor. What had once been a poorly lit gymnasium transformed into a chaotic light show, with reds, blues, and greens pulsing in rapid succession, painting the walls with dizzying brilliance.

All eyes turned as the lights converged on the replacement Bobert. The mechanical stand-in froze in place, framed beneath the glow like an unwilling actor caught in the spotlight. Then—metal screamed. A steel fist tore through Bobert's glassy eye socket, shattering it in one brutal strike.

The gym gasped as the battered body was yanked into the air, tossed like scrap metal. It hit the ground hard, sparking once before an unknown figure split it cleanly in two. The explosion that followed rattled the bleachers, causing students to duck for cover.

From the smoke, two burning red eyes pierced the haze. The crowd collectively drew in a breath as the figure stepped forward, a surprising twist that left them in awe. It was a moment that no one saw coming, adding a sense of unpredictability to the scene. It was a moment that brought a much-needed chuckle to the tense atmosphere.

"Fantastic," Alan muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm, though a grin still played at the corner of his lips, providing a humorous relief in the midst of chaos.

Around him, confusion buzzed through the crowd. Aphrodite growled through her muzzle, Carmen's brow furrowed, and Clare blinked rapidly as if trying to make sense of what just happened. William, in stark contrast, clapped his wings together like an overexcited child, his enthusiasm a stark contrast to the tension in the room. Alan, the peacemaker, tried to maintain order, his voice calm and steady despite the chaos.

Alan raised a hand toward the gleaming intruder.

"Mr. Robot—that looks suspiciously like Gumball. Why exactly did you blow up one of our classmates?"

Metalball tilted his head, feigning surprise at their ignorance. His polished metal frame gleamed beneath the fractured lights as he struck another glittering pose.

"Oh, right. None of you recognizes your old buddy in his new and improved form."

Carmen squinted, folding her arms.

"...Bobert?"

"Formerly," Metalball corrected with theatrical flair. "After that little cafeteria accident—caused by six complete imbeciles—the wonderful Doctor Watterson recovered my remains. He reassembled me into this glorious upgrade you see now."